Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Old Navy 20% off everything



Score free shipping on Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Piperlime or Athleta brands until December 15th with the purchase of $50 or more.

Click HERE to shop 'till you drop!

BOGO 50% Lakeshore Learning

BOGO (Buy One, Get One) 50% off.
Lakeshore Learning Materials is a GREAT place to get a ton of toys for the holiday or year of birthdays.

Coupon Code:
VDMPHH82854252

Valid Until 12/20/09



Click HERE to shop online.

Monday, December 7, 2009

LeapFrog Daily Deal




Today Only: This is one of the best that I've seen so far! Fly Fusion Pentop Computer Pen that is normally $79.99 and is $9.99 today only! WOW!

There are many other deals that vary by day and week.

Click HERE

Hobby Lobby Weekly Specials and Coupon for Dec 7 to Dec 12, 2009

Christmas Ornaments and many other decorations are 50% off. Here is their weekly ad.
Don't forget the coupon for 40% off!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

$5 Magazine Subscriptions for Christmas



"The $5.00 Magazines Sale
From December 6-12, all the magazines you see below are on sale for $5.00 each! Give a gift, renew an existing subscription, or start a new one--all for just $5.00. Snap them all up at this price--they make great gifts for everyone on your list." There is much more than just Cosmopolitan & House Beautiful; these are just my favorites!
Click HERE for more magazines!

Friday, December 4, 2009

20% off @ Bath & Body Works


20% OFF ENTIRE PURCHASE AT BATH & BODY WORKS! (OFFER VALID UNTIL DEC 6, 2009)
USE ONLINE CODE:
20PERCENT

Present Time @ Gap



NOW THROUGH SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6:


TO REDEEM, ENTER L1D1FP4DXR8L AT CHECKOUT.
Also, receive free shipping on all of their brands with a purchase of $50 or more (until December 15th).

Get Warm at New York & Company



In Stores or Online-
Take $30 off $75 or more
Code:
1899

or

Take $50 off $125 or more
Code:
1937

PLUS,
Every Sweater is BOGO 50% off!

Offers Valid until December 8!

Shop HERE

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Free Santa Claus & Friends Phone Calls!


Surprise your friends or family with
a call from Santa Claus, Sammy the
Snowman, or Coca-Cola® Racing Family member Tony Stewart!
Go HERE to Register or Sign In and set it up! it's FREE & Personalized!!
THANKS, FRY'S FOOD STORES!

Blurb Christmas Books



Free Ground Shipping on up to five BLURB books until December 8.
Code:
BLURBSHIP

Crammer for $45 off

Leapfrog's Crammer™ Study and Sound System for Ages 8 Years to 14 Years

Was
$59.99
and is on sale for
$14.99

Order HERE

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Wow time flies!

I'm sorry about how bad I've been about updating this blog lately. Between being breaking up with my fiance, moving, my son's adjustments to a brand new life (he's finally doing better!), him getting stitches, participating in a Savvy Sale (more on this later), job searching, room mate searching, and my 19 credits at school, we have been BUSY!
So I do apologize. Here are some of the good deals that I've been enjoying:
It says:

"Introducing new Palmolive® Pure + Clear Detergent!

This exciting new detergent from Palmolive provides a natural, glowing shine that redefines clean. It contains no dyes, no unnecessary chemicals, no heavy fragrances. It is also an extremely environmentally friendly product: Its phosphate-free formula is biodegradable and leaves no harmful residue on dishes. Its bottle is even made of post-consumer recycled plastic!

And, of course, it cleans your dishes masterfully! You will be amazed at what this environmentally-conscious cleaner can do, without having to scrub for hours!"
I've actually tried this already. It's not too bad, although I have been using an alternate method (that I make) to cleaning my dishes. More on that later. Here is the link for this sample!


"Introducing Don't Disturb Me! Asphalia for Natural Sleep, a natural solution to your sleep problems. Leading Nutritionists are hailing "Don't Disturb Me!" Asphalia for Natural Sleep as the "biggest breakthrough in sleep improvement in decades." Don't Disturb Me! contains Festuca Arundinacea, a Welsh meadow grass, which provides a natural plant source of Melatonin. Instead of synthetic melatonin normally found in over the counter sleep aids, our product contains a physiological dose of natural melatonin. That means your body is getting the correct amount of melatonin needed by your pineal gland, to promote healthy sleep.
Natural
Non-Addictive
Powerful Anti-oxidant
Low dosage of Melatonin
Wake up feeling refreshed with absolutely no drowsiness.
Simply take 1 capsule with a glass of water thirty minutes before bed. Don't Disturb Me! will help you gradually drift off to sleep, and stay asleep!"
This I haven't tried, yet, but can't wait to! HERE is the link!


Free Handmade Soap! "
Another very nice bar... a nice fresh fragrance and enriched with avocado oil for extra moisturizing. Enriched with emu oil.

Words from a manufacturer: "Our handmade soaps are made using the cold process method in small, 8 pound batches. Each bar is hand cut and trimmed, then cured for at least four weeks. Each bar will measure approximately 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches and will weigh approximately 5 ounces. We individually wrap our handmade soaps and provide a complete list of ingredients on each bar." Here is the link

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Bountiful Baskets (of produce)

Bountiful Baskets is a co-op that offers fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, as well as "specials" that vary by season. We have participated a couple of times and love it. The first time, however, I goofed and bought a basket ($15 for conventional- which we did the first time but now we do the $25 organic) AND an optional $5 fruit salad basket. We received all of this: for $20 (plus an extra $3 since it was our first time).


The result was:
-3 heads of spinach
-a head of Kale? (or some sort of lettuce...)
-3 bundles of celery
-2 yellow peppers
-9 pears
-1 cantelope
-6 apples
-5 peaches
-3 artichokes
-7 bananas
-18 little tomatoes
-4 yellow tomatoes (not sure what they are..)

and for our added-on fruit salad basket:
-huge bag of grapes
-1 watermelon
-huge case of strawberries
-huge case of blueberries

Luckily Charles had a birthday party that day so we made some fruit salad & served some vegetables. The produce lasts.... if you take good care of it & store it properly. It is always extremely fresh because the group of participants all purchase fruit/vegetables in bulk from the distributor. This means that we get it before the grocery store and therefore get super fresh produce at the cost that grocery stores do. And you don't have to pay anything (besides a $1 in handling) because it's a bunch of volunteers that put on the show. You pick your purchases up on the Saturday that you select. It's generally around 7 or 8 in the morning (since heats a huge factor here) and it's wise to bring either a laundry basket or a ton of reusable shopping bags. You do not get to chose what is in the general basket but I've also seen crates of tomatoes, loafs of bread (the $10 for 5 loafs of honey wheat is supposedly amazing... it's bakery style!), grass fed beef, Italian produce baskets, fruit salad baskets (like what I received), summer fruit baskets (pineapple, coconut, etc.) for sale. It's an awesome deal and if your family is small (like mine.... it consists of mommy, daddy & toddler), I would suggest splitting it. This coming Saturday, we are splitting the basket with my mom. I'm curious to see how this goes!!
You can find more information about the one that I participate through here.
You can also check here if you don't live in Arizona or Utah. I would also suggest googling your state/city & the words "produce co op" together and see what pops up.

Happy Savings!!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Better Homes & Gardens Mag Offer


Right now Better Homes & Gardens is selling a year subscription for $5.99. Plus, you'll receive All Time Favorites Vol. 3 cookbook, and you'll also get a copy of Quick and Easy Decorating instantly! Here's the link. Happy Savings!!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Poster Sale



AllPosters.com is having another poster sale, just in case you missed it last time. Be sure to use the coupon code: AUGSLE for free shipping during check out! Here is the link!! Hurry... it ends Thursday. I'll update later as to what great buy I got! ((Today is my first day in Upperlevel classes at the University). Let's just say I saved a TON of money on art I have had my eye on for over a year by going the poster route!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Movie Tickets for a $1

So apparently I'm a lazy bum who watches movies & tv all day since that's what my last two posts have been. Haha! I wish! I'm the mom of a two year old who has been REALLY sick lately, so my posts have been about us being lazy/cheap. I also haven't had time to post as much as I want. Although I do have some topics I'm dying to cover!

Who else has discovered "cheap theaters" (as my family likes to call them)??? By that, I mean watching slightly older/not yet released on film but out of the big dog theaters movies. Our cheap theatre sells their tickets for $2, but on Tuesdays, they sell them for just a buck! This is our favorite deal currently. It's been about 115*F where we live (Phoenix, AZ) so not only are we hot, but we are pretty lacking on the energy department. The three of us can get in for $3, and when we nix the concession stand (or sneak in a bag of organic popcorn that has 4,000 less calories than the $4 kind....), we come across some serious savings. Costs us about the same for us to rent the movie! Try googling "cheap theatre in ____" and see what comes up.

For the movies that we just can't wait 'till they come out, we try to hit up the "early bird" specials. Did you know that the majority of "big dog" theaters will let you into the movie for around $5 if you go to the first viewing? It's true. Harkins has the option for you to buy their "souvenere" cups/shirts and you can get free popcorn (with the shirt) or $1 refill on the soda (cup). Not too bad. Not as good as the "cheap theatre" but it sure does save money!

I've also heard of buying your tickets at Costco. Has anyone ever tried this?

Does anyone have any tips other tips that they'd like to give? If you already attend a "cheap theatre," please comment what theatre it is & what city/state you are in so others around you can bask in the same glory. Happy Savings!

Monday, August 17, 2009

Circle of friends

Gymboree is preparing to have their "Circle of Friends" sale August 20-23, 2009. This entails us to 30% off everything.
Here is the barcode:


and the online code: GYMFAMILY

Also, they are offering free shipping with a minimum of $100 purchase.

Here are a few drool worthy items:





Happy Savings!!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Buy One, Get One Free @ Dos Gringos




Dos has some really rockin' deals lately. If you go Mon-Fri, I would suggest checking out their Lunch Buffet for $7.99. With this coupon, you get the 2nd buffet free. My two year old also eats for free. Get water (if you want to be really cheap!) and leave happy for under $10.00. We honestly leave for under $15.00 since we are weird about leaving decent tips (we both used to serve) and we tip off of what the meal would have cost us before discounts. OH and for those concerned, Dos is actually pretty family friendly during the day. At night, however, I'd leave the babies with a sitter.
They also have a killer Happy Hour. 4-7 pm Monday-Friday & 10pm-2am daily. $4 for your choice of Cheese Quesadillas, Rocky Point Nachos, Fried Monster Taco, Gringo Rolls, Gringo Tacos (2- we suggest steak!), and Queso Dip (my favorite!). I want to say that their margaritas and beers are around the $2 range.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Free Juicer

Paramount Citrus is currently giving away a free juicer! The promo code is "juicer". Here is the link.

Ditch your Cable for a different Cable!!

I thought I would post about a major way that we've been saving money lately around the house. I don't like "sacrificing" but I definitely don't mind making adjustments to save some cash!
About a year ago, we ditched Cable TV. There are a lot of shows out there that I'm slightly addicted to. Secret Life of the American Teenager (I was pregnant in highschool.... so this is a guilty pleasure. I know, lame!), The City, The Hills, 16 and Pregnant, Smallville, etc. Regardless of how lame my favorite shows are (and I know.... they are really lame!!! lol), we still don't watch via cable. Instead, we have connected our tv to our computer so we can "stream" our favorite shows the day after it aired. It's a small way that we save approximately $80 a month. ($80*12= $960.... so that's nearly $1,000 a year in savings!) It's actually quite simple to do.... you just need a cable (we use VGA-double female and it works wonderfully)! Here is a link to Cables for Less, which is a great site that has cables at a decent price. Most stores are WAY overpriced!
We have netflix instead of watching every movie at the theatre. We get 3 movies a time and pay around $20 a month for this service. We rent a lot of the movies that are "new releases" and watch the oldies online. Netflix has a huge gallery of movies and shows online that you can access from any computer as long as you have an account. Here are a few that we are digging right now: Stepbrothers, Tortilla Soup, Sleepless in Seattle, Casablanca, Made of Honor, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and WordWorld, Chitty Chitty Bang Ban, Dora, Blues Clues & Land Before Time for the little man. the list goes on... for the movies we really do want to see on the big screen, we go to the cheap theatre that plays movies that have been out for a while. $2 instead of $9 per person! Not so shabby, ey?! I've also heard good things about Red Box but we haven't ventured there yet. So tell me, how do you save on entertainment? And while your at it, if you have enjoyed reading some things on my new blog... introduce yourself & tell me what else you'd like to hear! :D

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Happy Burt Day!


For a limited time only, Burt's Bees is having a special for their 25th Anniversary. If you haven't tried Burt's, you're missing out! I love this stuff... here's the deal:

"25th Burt Day Celebration Grab Bag
Celebrate our 25th Burt Day with a bag full of goodies!

How it Works
It's our 25th Burt Day and we're ready to celebrate with a gift - just for you! We've mixed and matched our most popular natural products and other special gifts into our premium Burt Day Celebration Grab Bag. A bag full of these goodies sells for over $50 MSRP, but we've lowered the price especially for our birthday.

You'll get 6 regular-sized products: 4 lip products, a 4 oz. spearmint lime body wash and a 3 oz. nourishing body lotion; 12 mini-size products; and 4 special gifts!

Give the gift of well-being to others or keep them all for yourself. And of course, Happy Burt Day!


Featured Ingredient
Beeswax — A natural wax made by bees in the cell walls of honeycombs, this substance is a natural emulsifier used in cosmetics.

Read more
Contains:
6 Regular-Sized Products:
Lip Shimmer Merlot
Lip Shimmer Toffee
Replenishing Lip Balm
Beeswax Lip Balm
Spearmint & Lime Body Wash (4 oz)
Nourishing Body Lotion (3 oz)
12 Mini-size:
Baby Bee Buttermilk Bath
All-in-One Wash
Lip Gloss Red
Lip Gloss Nude
Natural Skin Care for Men Soap
Peppermint Soap
Citrus Spice Soap
Baby Bee Buttermilk Soap
Orange Essence Facial Cleanser
Peppermint Foot Lotion
Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar
Therapeutic Bath Crystals
4 Special Gifts:
Bamboo Poof
Burt's Bees Gardener's Gloves
Red Wristlet Bag
Lip Balm Clip-On
Items may vary. All sales final. No returns or replacements."

here is the link! Get it quick... the supplies won't last!!
and check here for other spankin' deals!
(By the way, it may help if you right click and open the links in new windows....)

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Free Marie Claire magazines


Go here to sign up for a free subscription to Marie Claire Magazines. You are supposed to own a business but being a domestic goddess should count.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

I wish I needed another carseat!

The Britax brand is a fantastic brand of carseats. I've only heard good reviews about them.... although once I have heard that they are bulky but I think that's how the majority of good car seats are. The only reason I didn't purchase one for my son was cost. We went for the Eddie Bauer brand, which is still pretty good, but we couldn't find any deals going on at the time of purchase. Hopefully this will help somebody!?

Glad Fall into Fragrance Giveaway

It says, "Glade® Fall into Fragrance Gift Pack


Add a touch of fragrance to your home this summer with Glade® PlugIns® Scented Gel. Plug it in while you're entertaining guests, relaxing on the couch or reading a book.

Each warmer gently warms the fragrance-infused gel cartridges so scent is released gradually and doesn't overpower. One cartridge lasts up to 30 days!


First 10,000 people to respond will receive a Glade® Fall into Fragrance Gift Pack. For your chance to receive a gift pack, simply complete all required information on the form below by August 28, 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time. Offer available to U.S. residents only. Gift packs available until August 28, 2009, or while supplies last. Only 10,000 gift packs available. Limit: one (1) gift pack per household/address. S.C. Johnson is not liable for any typographical errors in the offer or any illegible, lost, late, damaged, separated, misdirected, incomplete, stolen or nondelivered email or redemption requests. Gift packs will be mailed by October 15, 2009.

Gift pack offers are available to Right@Home™ members only.

Not a member? Join Right@Home™ for free to be eligible for future members-only offers like this.

If you have received a gift pack from Right@Home™ in the last 180 days, you are not eligible for this month's offer. "



It looks like you have to respond pronto to the offer or else you might miss out! So hurry up & enjoy!! gotta love free stuff!

respond HERE

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Color Book Fun & FREE!!

Who needs to purchase a coloring book for their child when you can simply print out whatever your child's favorite object of the month is. And let's face it.... children go through favorites pretty quickly!! Here are a few of my favorite coloring pages (I teach preschool & use these often!). The cost is whatever it is to print out the page... ink, paper & time. I prefer doing both sides of the paper so that there is lots of room to create, as well as "reduce" & "reuse"!




Crayola Coloring Pages


Coloring Book Fun

Tushy Love

Gotta love a post that's titled: Tushy Love. You can tell I'm the mom of a little one! Anyways, there are a few good deals going on for helping that tush of theirs stay dry.
First:

a sample of Huggies Pure & Natural. I actually ordered some for my next one... whenever that may be. I'm actually planning on doing cloth diapers but I don't think it will hurt to have a few disposable on hands so it's not too much pressure. I'll put it in the box with the hand-me-down clothes! =D here is the link.

And for the older ones (like my boy):

Free underpants sample from Goodnights! Here is the link.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Give & Get Sale

I love good deals... the ones that are good for my pocket, and even better.... the ones that benefit others! Right now @ Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, PiperLime & Athleta, they are offering 30% of any item. It says, "Shop now before it's too late to get 30% off. Remember, we'll give 5% of the amount you spend to a non-profit (if one is selected). So in a time when our communities need it most, you can make your shopping count for more." This deal ends today on August 2 (midnight!).
Here's the barcode:


And the online Promo Code:
PB1KL8CFLZRQ


I scored:
Women's Tie-Front Pointelle: regularly $20, now $14


Women's The Diva Skinny Jean: regularly $20, now $14


Women's Faux-Leather Peep-Toe: regularly 19.50, now $13.85


Women's Cable-Knit V-Neck Hoodie: regularly $20, now $14


Men's Bias-Plaid Tees: regularly $7.99, now $5.59


Dinosaur-Graphic Tees for Toddlers: regularly $7, now $4.90


Old School Music Graphic Tee for Toddlers: regularly $8.50, now $5.95


Parent Graphics Brown Earth for toddlers: regularly $4.99, now $3.49

which totaled in $32.39 off!!! and that's $4.36 to charity.... which isn't that much, but considering we could use these items, anyways, it doesn't hurt!!!!!

Friday, July 31, 2009

$15 Nursing Covers & No S/H

Click here to get a $15 nursing cover.... I paid $40 for the one I used and this is just like what I used. $40 was worth every penny, and more, yet this deal is stunning! Now I just wish I had a baby who I could buy a nursing cover for.... :) I can't decide what's better.... the price, or the fact that it's supporting a fellow crafter!







I'm personally melting over the pink & brown polka dots. You can tell I'm thinking pink for the next!!!

Free SHAMmyWOW


i have been using shammies for quite some time now in lui of paper towels. Don't get me wrong... we also use rags (actually, we have "repurposed" our son's old burp cloths into rags for cleaning!) and there are times that I just don't think shammies will cut it, but for cleaning up water or a large liquid mess (which occurs often being a parent of a toddler!), shammies ROCK. Right now, ShamWow is offering 2 FREE shammies for the exchange of your goddess wisdom (aka a quick & painless survey!!!). HERE is the link. Be sure to watch the movie.... it gave me the happy butteflies just thinking about freebies that help me stay both economically & environmentally friendly!!!

Free Leap Frog Board Book


i'm really excited for this... great company offering a learning tool for FREE. yippeeeee
CLICK here

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Kiss My Face (AND my wallet!)


Kiss My Face is an awesome, environment & skin friendly/healthy brand. I love their toner that you literally just spray onto your face after a nice warm wash. It is by far one of the most refreshing feelings that helps me get through the summer days.

Right now, they are giving away a "free sample bottle of Kiss My Face© Aromatherapeutic Anti-Stress Shower/Bath gel.

Anti Stress Shower & Bath Gel has an infusion of fir needle essential oil to calm the mind, and nerves while it gently cleanses the body. What a day, what a week! Ease your mind, take time for yourself. Recuperate, revive, relax. Let the warm, calming water drench your body.

Contains Ginseng, Gotu-Kola, Ivy, Lavender, Rosemary, and other soothing ingredients complimentary to a relaxed lifestyle


Suggested Use: For a bath pour into running warm water. For a shower, apply liberally to the skin and massage muscles and joints"

Go HERE for the sample!

Let me know how you like it! I am VERY excited to try this!! Maybe I'll even take a bath and make the mister watch the toddler! :D

Monday, July 27, 2009

Free Doughnut!

Dunkin' Doughnuts is offering a free doughnut to anyone who buys a medium or larger coffee to guzzle it down with. Click HERE for the link! Thanks, Fox's Daily Deal!

Mr. Forrest

Meet the new member of our family:

Isn't he a beauty!? I'm very excited about it... we also got a HUGE mirror & literally 8 baskets. We could always use more baskets for organizing! It all was from a moving sale that we saw on Craigslist. We are ecstatic.... we got a very good deal on it all & we also know we did a good thing buying used instead of new for the environment.
In case you are wondering, right now we are calling him "Mr. Forrest" because of his color (GREEN) and the fact that we got it from a nice lady who lived on Forrest Drive.
Now I'm just trying to decide what color to paint him. I'm thinking either brick red or black. I also think he could use a quote. I can't wait to fancy him up. Right now he'll remain in his ugly shade of green. I do have to admit, the color is some what growing on me... but it doesn't go with our house at all... and that just doesn't work. I'll update in a bit in regards to how he turns out!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

"GREEN" cleaning supplies

I've recently started to switch over to green & cheap cleaning supplies? sounds like an oxymoron, right!? well, i've heard that going back to the basics with cleaning is both better for the environment as well as the wallet. I figured it couldn't hurt to try. On Monday, I cleaned the kitchen with vinegar (and attempted to get rid of pesky little flies that are obsessed with my mint & basil plants!) The smell did the trick, although two days later (today) they came back!!! SO apparently the vinegar thing needs to be done regularly for use as a pesticide! By the word regularly, I mean every other day! Maybe even daily. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'll give it a shot and see.... As far as cleaning/sterilizing, it worked really well! The only difficulty I had was when it was grimy. Other than that, totally better than Clorox/411/whatever. I've found that Trader Joes has a product line called "Close to Goddliness" that is still good for the environment & fairly priced. I like that a tad better, although the vinegar works for the easier spots.

Today I tried Borox for both the bathroom sink & toilet. It worked all right, although I've had a hard time finding ANYTHING that works well and isn't harsh chemicals. With that in mind, it was worth the low price of money I spent.

In conclusion, I have found that the two work well for "easier" jobs. Definitely saves money! I'm yet to try it on other cleaning jobs, so I'm not quite done "testing" it out. I'll post more when I do.

Monday, July 20, 2009

End Of Summer Clearance- Fry's

Fry's (Kroger Company) is having a huge clearance on both back to school supplies & summer items. Bar-B-Que's & patio tables are by far the biggest deals, but they also have many every day supplies that can be used through out the year. My son was overjoyed to see that I brought him home bubbles & markers for him.
A 10 pack of Crayola Markers (which is plenty for him- he's two!) was on sale for $2.50 ($1.69 savings) & bubbles were on sale for $1.39 (60 c off, which isn't that much but is still pretty good considering he'll use them and it saves me from having to make them!).

Index cards (for me, not for my son!) were on sale for 99c, which puts me at a 70c savings. I need it for college, so what can I say!?

I was happy to see that storage was included in this sale. Latch boxes were 2 for $10, and regularly $8.39 (so $3.39 in savings).

They also had Lloyds chicken on sale for $3.99 (they were $7.99- so this is a real treat for us! we never want to spend that much on a lunch, but I was glad to when they were $4 off!). Also, they are trying to be more economical on their packaging... printing directly on the plastic vs having a paper wrapper.



My one disappointment was that they changed the book bin! Now it is 2 for 10, which drastically has changed the quality of the books (I used to buy $35ish books for $5ish!) and children's books were often found for around $2 or $3.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

DIY: Silly Putty

For "Silly Scientists Day" today at my preschool class (that I teach), we made our own Silly Putty. The first couple of tries were disastrous.... I followed corporates' instructions on how to make it. They make lesson plans that they want me to teach, but they are normally pretty lame (come on... it's corporate, not a teacher making these lesson plans!), so I typically have to redesign the whole day. Well, I thought the IDEA of making Silly Putty sounded pretty fun.... but should have researched the instructions that they gave me because it was awful trying to make the silly putty work out in front of 9 3&4 yr olds who worked hard at putting it together & mixing it just right. Anyways, here is the easy, DIY method that hopefully is fail proof via a video. It ought to make it a lot easier to make the putty than my failed-many-times way.

Make Silly Putty (imitation) - The funniest home videos are here

I have found that mixing the borax with water first is crucial because, if you don't, you end up with really grainy gunk.

Free Products and Coupons


image source
There are MANY great sites out there that will give out free coupons, and sometimes even free products, to their valued "customers". You don't even have to prove that you technically are a customer. To be honest, for many, we only use the product whenever it's given to us! Here are a few sites that are free to sign up for and that have many of the mentioned perks:

First Taste (Kraft)
Pssst... (General Mills)
Every Day Solutions (P&G)

Baby Freebies

Here is a link to a page full of links to baby freebies. It includes samples, classes, etc.

Making Your Own Baby Food

Baby Food is actually a LOT easier to make than people realize. As easy as baby food is to buy, it's considerably close to being just as easy. The only cons are: you have to invest a bit of time into making the food and you want to let it "defrost" (and therefore need to plan your baby's meals out). The pros: you can save a TON of money!!! AND it's an easy way to "reuse" an every day product!

image courtesy of Chow



Need:
1. your choice of fruit/vegetable/meat
2. Ice trays
3. Tupperware for storing the food (first preference... although ziplock bags work, too.)
4. Blender/Puree/etc.
5. Time & Patience for the Prep work.... if this is too much, PLEASE do not guilt yourself into doing this. I know it is to have a hard time finding time to do anything. If cooking isn't your thing, and your already a busy mom, skip over this and please go play with your mini-you! This is just a cheaper way of getting the same result....

Follow the P's of cooking.... from Sweet Peas & Pumpkins
Prepare the food, usually by peeling and/or steaming or baking. Be sure not to overcook the food, as overcooking leads to nutrient loss.
Process the food in a food processor, adding breast milk or boiled water to the puree until a “baby food” consistency is reached. ((Be sure to make it smooth & the consistency that your child is at. This is a quick way to get an unhappy but still hungry baby!))
Pour the food puree into ice cube trays to freeze, reserving some of the puree for your sweet pea’s next meal.
Pop the food cubes into tupperware containers (or ziplock bags if you prefer)…be sure to label each item (don't forget the date!) , as you will be amazed at how similar many of the food cubes will appear (ie, hard to distinguish carrots from sweet potatoes from peaches)
Pick the cubes you need when the day prior to the meal via the refrigerator. Or, for immediate use, the microwave or oven. Just remember the bit about heat & nutrients!


Have fun and enjoy mixing together different food items!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Prints for Pennies



it says, "Enjoy 50 4" x 6" mail-order prints for only 1 cent each! Hurry and print all your favorite summer memories today. If you have more than 50 photos to print, each additional print is only 9c each—still an unbeatable value for you.

Use coupon PENNY at checkout before July 10." ((Mail-order only))

Yipeeeee-Ky-Yay!!!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Free Glidden Paint!


Glidden is currently hosting their National Free Paint Giveaway and rebate offer. Hurry, it ends on July 2! I personally chose the Warm Gold and can't decide whether or not I am going to freshen up a dresser or use it towards an accent wall. Here's the link!